Recipe of the day: How to cook Kashmiri biryani?
Who would say no to a warm plate of aromatic biryani, right? Authentic Kashmiri biryani does not use onion, meat, or garlic and has a lot of asafoetida, vegetables, and dry fruits in it which makes it stand out. It was first introduced by the Kashmiri Pandits or the Hindu bookkeepers of Muslim nawabs. Follow these steps to prepare the best Kashmiri biryani.
Here are the ingredients you will need
One and a half cups of basmati rice. Half a cup each of chopped cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, coriander leaves, and mint leaves. Milk, yogurt, saffron, caraway seeds, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and mace. Fennel powder, ginger powder, red chili powder, garam masala, grated nutmeg, and asafoetida. Roasted cashews for garnish.
First, prepare the rice
Take 1.25 cups of basmati rice and clear the starch by rinsing it in running water. Next, soak the basmati rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and keep the rice aside. Add the rice and some salt to boiling water and let it simmer until 75% cooked. Drain the rice, sprinkle one pinch of saffron on top and keep it covered.
Next, chop and saute the vegetables
Chop coriander leaves, potatoes, carrots, mint leaves, and cauliflower. Soak two pinches of saffron in 2/3 cup of warm milk. Fry one teaspoon of caraway seeds, two-inch cinnamon sticks, three-four green cardamoms, two black cardamoms, three-four cloves, and one-two strand of mace in ghee in a pan. Add the chopped veggies and saute for one-two minutes on medium-low to medium heat.
Add the ground spices
Next, add fennel powder, ginger powder, red chili powder, garam masala, asafoetida, and grated nutmeg to the veggies and saute for two minutes. Add five-six tablespoons of yogurt and mix well. Add one cup of water and salt as required, mix well and let it simmer. Pressure cook for one-two whistle until the vegetables are cooked properly. The gravy should not be too watery.
Layer the biryani and cook well
Layer a heavy-bottomed pan with half of the vegetable gravy. Next, layer half of the rice. Add chopped mint and coriander leaves. Add saffron-milk mixture. Layer with remaining vegetable curry and then remaining rice. Add mint and coriander followed by saffron-infused milk. Preheat the tawa and place the biryani-filled pan on top. Place a tight-fitting lid and cook for 25-30 minutes. And it's ready!
Serving suggestions
After 25-30 minutes of cooking, give a standing time of five to seven minutes, and then take out the biryani. Garnish with roasted cashew nuts and mint leaves and serve your Kashmiri biryani along with some green salad, chilled raita, and lemon wedges.
